Observing Taiwan's Civilian Defense Joint Exercise, US Retired General Calls for Greater Public Involvement in Emergency Response Services
Taiwan conducted a civilian defense joint exercise, observed by retired US generals. The exercise simulated an attack by China, training for war wound rescue and evacuation. A US retired general was impressed by the enthusiastic participation of Taiwanese citizens and urged the public to get more involved in emergency response services.
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- 📰 Published: April 12, 2026 at 20:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 12, 2026 at 21:00 (30 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 13, 2026 at 09:22 (12h 22m after Collected)
The Fu Ho Association today invited retired US Army Generals Charles Flynn and Mark Montgomery, former Chief of Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces Shigeru Iwasaki, former retired Japanese Generals Tomohisa Takei and Kiyofumi Iwata, former Deputy Commander of the Philippine Army Lieutenant General Leodevic B. Guinid, and former South Korean Army General Im Ho-young, among other retired generals from various countries, to observe the 2026 civilian defense joint exercise in Zhongliao, Nantou. They also engaged in discussions with domestic and international experts, scholars, and Taiwanese civilian defense organizations.
Liu Yu-hsi, convener of the civilian defense joint exercise and a member of the Presidential Office's All-out Defense Resilience Committee, briefed the retired generals on the exercise scenario. It simulated a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) attack on Taiwan from 36 days before the PLA's landing until the day of the landing, covering attack types such as blockade, air raids, fifth column activities, and harassment. Participating civilian defense groups cooperated with the national army in war wound rescue, assisting in civilian evacuation and retreat, establishing emergency medical stations and shelters for disaster victims, and conducting community security patrols. Concurrently, self-trained reservists played the roles of national army, PLA, and fifth column forces to simulate combat situations.
Retired generals from the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines observed war wound rescue during the civilian defense exercise. Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-wei reported on April 12, 2026, that retired generals from various countries exchanged practical experiences at the exercise site, paying close attention to the details of the training participants. South Korea, like Taiwan, implements a compulsory military service system. Im Ho-young also shared with other retired generals from different countries the reserve training and civilian defense missions required of South Korean servicemen after they return home from active duty.
Montgomery, who has long followed the situation in Taiwan, told the Central News Agency that he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the Taiwanese people in participating in civilian defense training because the assumed mission was so difficult, yet seeing the public wholeheartedly commit to this important mission was admirable.
Regarding how Taiwan can further integrate military and civilian efforts to promote all-out societal defense, Montgomery stated that Taiwan must work hard to improve its reserve forces, building a more effective reserve army. He noted that Taiwan's civilian defense forces have already performed excellently in responding to disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. Therefore, how to integrate civilian defense and reserve forces is crucial, but this will require significant effort.
Montgomery said that based on Taiwan's current situation and the threats it faces, every citizen aged 19 to 60 should at least commit part-time to public services such as medical care, civilian defense, emergency response, and reserve duty.
Another foreign retired general privately stated that given Taiwan's current situation, military-civilian integration is very important, and the public should also learn military skills if given the opportunity, so they can be used in the event of war.
Guinid said in an interview that the direction of this civilian defense joint exercise is correct, the scenarios are close to real combat, and Taiwan's civilian defense belonging to the Ministry of Interior is the correct decision, as it will not interfere with the Ministry of National Defense's operations during wartime. He added that the civilian defense department is responsible for wartime evacuation and the removal of casualties. He also suggested developing a specialized app to record casualty details and markings, so doctors receiving casualties would not need to re-triage them. (Editors: Lin Ke-lun, Yang Kai-xiang) April 12, 2026
Liu Yu-hsi, convener of the civilian defense joint exercise and a member of the Presidential Office's All-out Defense Resilience Committee, briefed the retired generals on the exercise scenario. It simulated a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) attack on Taiwan from 36 days before the PLA's landing until the day of the landing, covering attack types such as blockade, air raids, fifth column activities, and harassment. Participating civilian defense groups cooperated with the national army in war wound rescue, assisting in civilian evacuation and retreat, establishing emergency medical stations and shelters for disaster victims, and conducting community security patrols. Concurrently, self-trained reservists played the roles of national army, PLA, and fifth column forces to simulate combat situations.
Retired generals from the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines observed war wound rescue during the civilian defense exercise. Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-wei reported on April 12, 2026, that retired generals from various countries exchanged practical experiences at the exercise site, paying close attention to the details of the training participants. South Korea, like Taiwan, implements a compulsory military service system. Im Ho-young also shared with other retired generals from different countries the reserve training and civilian defense missions required of South Korean servicemen after they return home from active duty.
Montgomery, who has long followed the situation in Taiwan, told the Central News Agency that he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the Taiwanese people in participating in civilian defense training because the assumed mission was so difficult, yet seeing the public wholeheartedly commit to this important mission was admirable.
Regarding how Taiwan can further integrate military and civilian efforts to promote all-out societal defense, Montgomery stated that Taiwan must work hard to improve its reserve forces, building a more effective reserve army. He noted that Taiwan's civilian defense forces have already performed excellently in responding to disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. Therefore, how to integrate civilian defense and reserve forces is crucial, but this will require significant effort.
Montgomery said that based on Taiwan's current situation and the threats it faces, every citizen aged 19 to 60 should at least commit part-time to public services such as medical care, civilian defense, emergency response, and reserve duty.
Another foreign retired general privately stated that given Taiwan's current situation, military-civilian integration is very important, and the public should also learn military skills if given the opportunity, so they can be used in the event of war.
Guinid said in an interview that the direction of this civilian defense joint exercise is correct, the scenarios are close to real combat, and Taiwan's civilian defense belonging to the Ministry of Interior is the correct decision, as it will not interfere with the Ministry of National Defense's operations during wartime. He added that the civilian defense department is responsible for wartime evacuation and the removal of casualties. He also suggested developing a specialized app to record casualty details and markings, so doctors receiving casualties would not need to re-triage them. (Editors: Lin Ke-lun, Yang Kai-xiang) April 12, 2026